Lock and Leave allows a pharmacy to operate without a pharmacist physically present provided the pharmacy can completely restrict the public from access to any Schedule I, II or III drugs. Any physical impediments or barriers shall be constructed such that the drugs are completely inaccessible to the public. The entire pharmacy area is accredited by the College and the Lock and Leave permits the front shop area of the pharmacy to continue operating and allow for the sale of any drug in the unscheduled category (Schedule U) when the pharmacist is not present.
Pharmacies with an existing Lock and Leave built prior to March 14, 2011, are not required to submit an application to operate the Lock and Leave provided the area complies with the regulations and completely restricts public access to any drug listed in Schedule I, II and III.
New and existing pharmacies that wish to operate a new Lock and Leave must submit an application prior to construction and have the area assessed before use of the Lock and Leave is permitted.
To apply to operate a Lock and Leave as part of a new pharmacy or an existing pharmacy, follow these instructions:
Step 1: Submit an Application for Certificate of Accreditation as a Pharmacy
Complete the Application for Certificate of Accreditation as a Community Pharmacy and submit it to Pharmacy Applications & Renewals along with a floor plan. The floor plan must be labelled with the following details:
- Total square footage of area to be accredited – if the pharmacy is part of a larger area, clearly delineate the pharmacy portion and identify how the accredited area is kept secure/physically separate from the non-accredited area
- Total square footage of dispensary (area behind the counter)
- Location of required two sinks in the dispensary
- Location of acoustically private consultation area
- Location of compounding area
Applications may be submitted by email to [email protected], faxed to 416-847-8399 or mailed to the College to the attention of Pharmacy Applications & Renewals at 483 Huron St., Toronto, ON M5R 2R4.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The College evaluates each person who is an applicant based on the criteria set out in Part III of the regulation under the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act, 1990, including an assessment to determine if past and present conduct of the proposed owner(s) affords reasonable grounds for the belief that the pharmacy will be operated with decency, honesty and integrity and in accordance with the law. The College will take whatever time is necessary to complete this assessment. Application processing time varies, and a pharmacy’s proposed date of opening is subject to change.
Step 2: Scheduling an Assessment
Once an application has been approved, a community operations avisor will contact the Designated Manager of the pharmacy to schedule an assessment of the Lock and Leave. Please be advised that it may take up to two weeks to schedule an assessment.
Step 3: The Assessment
During the assessment, the pharmacy must demonstrate how the Lock and Leave will operate and how it will ensure that the scheduled drugs are completely inaccessible to the public. If the area is satisfactory, the College will approve the use of the Lock and Leave.
If the area is not satisfactory, the assessment report will be referred to the Accreditation Committee for determination. The Committee can direct the Registrar to refuse or approve the application.
If you have any questions about the accreditation process send an email to [email protected] or call 416-962-4861 ext. 3600.